Written communications have been a primary means of communication dating back to the medieval period. As early as the 4th century, people used crude writing instruments to communicate information. These instruments consisted of hollow straws or reeds that supported a short column of liquid. During the fifth century, people began to make pens formed from wing feathers. Currently, the writing pen has evolved into a variety writing instruments, which include: the ballpoint pen, the fountain pen, the soft-tip pen lettering pin and the technical pin. Today, pens rank among the most widely used writing instrument.
One concept of the writing instrument is to attach a light such as a flashlight to the instrument. This combination enables the user to be able to see the surface on which they are writing when the surrounding light is inadequate. For many years, there have been several versions of the illuminated writing instrument.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,516,647 describes a pencil illuminating light. This device comprised a writing pencil having a light contained in a light receptacle that was coupled to it the writing pencil. A wire connected the receptacle to a portable power source.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,615,740 describes a writing instrument and completely separate lighting instrument joined by clips that extended from the lighting instrument. These clips were able to engage the writing instrument and secure the lighting instrument to the writing instrument.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,964,614 describes a ballpoint pen with a light bulb disposed adjacent the ballpoint. The pen and light bulb are encased within one housing. In addition, the act of depressing the end of the pen to shift the pen into the writing position would also activate the source of light. Shifting the pen back to a closed position would deactivate the light source. With this device, the user could only write with the light on.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,002,349 describes a ski clip device for securing a pair of skis together in a base-to-base relationship and for holding a ski pole. The device includes first and second generally elongate clip members, each of which is formed to define a channel therein, with each end of the clip members being open. The clip members are attached together in a back-to-back relationship so that the channels thereof face in generally opposite directions.
U.S. Pat. D272,802 describes a penlight holder having elongated clip members. These members are attached together back to back so that defined channels in each clip face generally opposite directions.
U.S. Application 20020044442 describes a writing apparatus having permanently attached writing and lighting instruments. Each instrument would be activated separately. This apparatus also has a conventional clip to secure the apparatus to the clothing of the user.
Writing instruments have also contained clips used to secure the instrument to the clothing of the user. U.S. Pat. No. 5,152,626 describes a writing instrument that includes a clip, which can be retracted into an opening of a barrel, and an operating unit, which has a pushbutton and an operating cam. The writing instrument can be operated by a single operating means, while the clip can function only when the writing cartridge is retracted.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,685,374 describes a spring biased clip design. This clip assembly is securably affixable to the body of a variety of hand-held implements, including writing devices, which is capable of clasping objects substantially thicker that a garment pocket, such as notepads, books, and backpacks. The clip assembly comprises a pin securably engaged to the body of the hand-held implement, a rigid member having a first end for clasping an article, and a second end for manually operating the clip assembly, and a spring biasing the first end of the rigid member towards the body of said hand-held writing implement.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,499,196 A clip for a writing instrument has an external biasing mechanism separate from the connection of the clip to the writing instrument to avoid permanent deformation or breaking of the clip arm and wear on the writing instrument body. The biasing mechanism is a coil spring mounted on the clip arm between two supports for compression and flexion when the clip arm is pulled away from the side of the writing instrument.
While there are many devices designed to provide a light source for a writing instrument when the surrounding light is inadequate, these devices do not have a reliable means to secure the device when the device is not in use. There remains a need for an illuminated writing instrument that can be reliably secured to the clothing of the user.